


Familiar

by Sierra Roo (SoySierra)



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Drama, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-01-23 01:09:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18539203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoySierra/pseuds/Sierra%20Roo
Summary: "Well, that was a nightmare," Eudora said after greeting his sister and introducing herself. "But I have good news. I have spoken with the doctors and they say that Klaus will be fine. The wounds do not endanger his life and he will recover from them in a few weeks. The confusional episode, on the other hand, may have a psychological origin. Until he wake up .. ""Excuse me, What confusing episode?"Eudora looked at him with an intense expression. With the same expression that had looked at him the day she had decided to leave him. An expression that screamed: Is it that you have not noticed?"Diego". She said, using the tone with which she would talk to a small child."All this time, Klaus has called you Dave."





	1. Can you walk on the water if I, you and I?

**Author's Note:**

> The name of this fic as well as its chapters are inspired by the wonderful song of Agnes Obel "Familiar."  
> My mother tongue is not English so I apologize in advance if you find mistakes.  
> I hope you like this idea! Happy to receive any comments! Enjoy!

"Klaus is not here."

It was he who noticed but there was no more. The sentence hung in the air, suspended between Luther and him as a simple observation of the facts.

"Dad died"

"Our missing brother traveled in time, he came back and now he is 13 ... again"

"The world ends in eight days."

"Two guys with masks tried to kill us"

"Klaus is not here"

It was one more fact that added to a long list of events to which they had to adapt. Maybe that's what caused neither of them to react immediately. There were too many new facts lately. Maybe it was that, or maybe it was the fact that Klaus had not been around for too long. Not really. Since they were teenagers, Klaus had been characterized by his repeated absences and disappearances. He always ended up returning on his own. In a deplorable state and with little awareness of the events he had experienced, but he always returned …

Luther deposited Five on the bed. He was unconscious after being wounded by one of the bullets and his appearance was almost innocent. In one corner was the half of the manikin that he seemed to cling to since he had returned from the future. He wore the remains of a polka-dot shirt.

Diego remembered that Klaus had once appeared in a polka-dotted dress. He had been practicing like walking with high heels and he had done it. His steps were somewhat insecure but he was acquiring the technique. A stupid smile of pride on his face when he showed his dubious achievement.

Always doing idiocies ..

Diego shivers. A sudden anger rose in his chest at the memory.

“Let's go, we should talk to the others ..”

*

It turned out that the others also had no idea where Klaus was. The issue was discussed in the midst of other important issues. The apocalypse and how to avoid it. The possibility that the end had something to do with the Moon (courtesy of Luther), among other issues ...

The meeting culminated, like all their meetings. With most of the participants offended for one reason or another, without solving anything in particular.

Diego dropped into one of the sofas. He was exhausted from dealing with his brothers. There was no point in trying to find a way to avoid the apocalypse. Without the help from Five, it was an impossible task. As a reflex, he pulled out one of his knives and began to sharpen it.

That polka dot dress was from Mom. It was one of her favorites. It was he liked to think (he did not know if a machine could really have favorites). That day, Klaus had put on mom's dress. The garment fit his body and fell elegantly. The look was strange in itself. But the strangest thing of all had not been that but the expression on his face. His wobbly smile at seeing himself in the mirror was so different from his lascivious, manic smiles, that made him look like a different person. The door to his room was ajar, he was just passing by ...

"Take it off!" He practically barked at him.

Klaus jump in the place emitting a small little masculine shriek.

"Diego! What the hell? You not know how to knock?"

"Take off that dress now!" He repeated because with Klaus he always had to repeat things to get him to do something. Clear and simple orders, just like Dad. Only that worked with him or his big mouth ended up entangled him in its absurd logic.

"You don´t like it? It's a little flat here but it can be solved. I think the shoes give the touch .. "

Diego lost patience. He held him by one arm and shook him. He did not know why he was so angry but suddenly did not feel like dealing with the stupidities of his sissy brother.

"Take it off!"

With the movement, Klaus lost the precarious balance he had achieved with the shoes. He staggered and fell. Diego didn´t see him. Rather he saw him, but he did not remember exactly how he had fallen. What he clearly remembered was the sound. A muffled sound. Something like a branch breaking.

Klaus' jaw fracturing.

He did not know. No, at that time. Hardly a trickle of blood came out of his mouth but he knew it was bad. Klaus cried and held his face. It was a silent cry, choked with pain. Every sob must have been agony. Klaus never cried.

Diego closed his eyes, put the knife away and stood up. 

Diego entered the kitchen with a rush that contrasted with his recent passivity. Five was already conscious and had a coffee served by Allison. They both focused their attention on him when they saw him break into the kitchen with such impetus. 

"We must find Klaus."

*

That was the plan. His plan. Simple, logical. His brother had disappeared. Judging by the recent events, probably kidnapped by the two assassins who stormed the mansion. It was necessary to rescue him. It's what any family would do. The problem was..

"No." Five's response had his hallmark. Direct and cutting. "The priority at this moment is to stop the end of the world. We can not lose a second. "

"He's our brother for God's sake!" Indignation gushing through every fiber of his body. Diego knew that Five could become cold but refusing to help one of his brothers was already on another level.

Five put the cup on the table with more force than necessary. For a second, Diego could see in his eyes not his little brother but the man who had had to spend years and years in a devastated world.

"It is. But he was also stupid enough to let himself be captured. Now he will have to fend for himself. "

Diego still could not believe it. He was used to the fact that his plans never materialized, to be heard but never taken into account. But he never thought about being alone in such a situation ...

"Allison?"

His sister had never been his accomplice in anything. Always too interested in accompanying Luther's decisions. However, this time an expression of deep embarrassment was visible on her face.

"We can´t leave Klaus alone. If we don´t rescue him ... "

Diego let out a sigh of relief, silently grateful to her. The outbreak of Five startled them.

"Are you all insane ?!"You have not heard that the world ends in three days?! If we let that happen there will be nothing to rescue! Will you let that happen to your daughter, Allison? "

Allison's face contracted at the mention of her daughter. Five was extremely skilled with words when he wanted to achieve a goal. He had smelled his sister's weakness and had gone after her. Diego knew he had lost the battle.

"What's wrong? Why are you screaming?"

Diego rolled his eyes. As always, Luther had appeared just at the wrong time. He did not have time to keep losing in that discussion. His decision was made.

"I'll look for Klaus. Whoever wants to come with me is free to do so. "

Diego waited a few seconds in the car. None of his brothers left the house.

The memory of Klaus sobbing on the floor returned to his mind. The dress crumpling between his legs. His hands holding his face. The little thread of blood that spilled from his mouth staining the carpet ..

The car made a scandalous screech as it accelerated.

*

When he arrived at the police station, Patch practically fell on him. She knew something, a clue about a motel on the outskirts of the city, two subjects with masks had been seen entering, the reinforcements would reach them, they had to be cautious and move quickly ..

From there, everything was confusing. Diego was sure that Eudora had spoken to him throughout the journey, that the word "caution" had been pronounced on numerous occasions, that on arrival he had been given a bulletproof vest but could not specify much more.

His mind seemed to be elsewhere. In the sound like a branch breaking and a small drop of blood on the carpet.

Dad would kill them.

POLICE!

The officers entered the small room of the motel making a great noise. They had almost thrown the door down and now entered the room with the force of a tide. They burst into the bathroom with the same impetus but found nothing. Soon the weapons came down. 

"CLEAR" He heard one of them say, while others reviewed the room, under the bed, in the corners, in the closet ..

"HERE!"

Between two officers, they removed a half-naked man from the closet, still tied to a chair and talking to them in a soft but incessant tone.

"KLAUS!"

It was as if it happened in slow motion. Klaus turned to see him and there was something that was so strange and at the same time so genuine in his look that Diego's interior wobbled. The smile on his brother's exhausted face belonged to a class he had not seen in years. No, since ..

"You're here! I knew you would come! I knew it! I knew you would!"

In a quick movement, Diego dodged the police who tried to hold him and in less than a second was at his side. He heard that Klaus kept talking to him but he could not focus on what he was saying. 

Over the years he had learned to listen to Klaus as if he were a radio with interference. He always had to separate the important from the static. With one of his knives he cut the ropes while taking one of the covers to cover him. The injuries did not seem to be serious, but he had no way of knowing if there was any damage to his internal organs. They should go to the hospital quickly.

He did not know the number of red lights that he missed but surely there were many to judge from the number of honking he had received. He had not wanted to wait for the ambulance, they were too slow.

Evidently Patch had warned them, since Klaus was admitted to the hospital as soon as they arrived. Diego got tired of explaining that everything would be fine, that they should examine him but nothing seemed to have any effect. Klaus did not want to separate from him and there was a whole mess before they could reassure him.

"Please, don´t go." He told him before the medication-induced sleep dragged him away. 

"I'll be here," he answered and that was exactly what he did during the hours that followed. He sat on one of the benches and entertained himself by imagining the number of possible tortures for the idiots who had left his brother in that state.

Finally, he had not been able to continue sitting and had finished opting to walk the corridor from one end to the other. His steps took him from the emergency room to the entrance door and vice versa. He was turning around when he saw her enter. The diminutive figure of Vanya entered the hospital with a deep expression of anguish on her face. 

"How did you know we were here?" He asked by way of greeting as soon as the girl was at his side.

"The news." She answered and for a second it seemed like that was all that was going to come out of her mouth. The insecurity was palpable in the way her fingers clung to the strap of her backpack. Finally, she took courage.

"How is he?"

Diego sighed. He had no desire to give any explanation.

"He was tortured by the pair of crazy people who tried to kill us. Nobody wanted to look for him, I went with the police to that motel and I found him ...! "

Diego stopped suddenly alarmed to face an anguish he did not know was there. It was not time to be vulnerable, much less in front of Vanya. So he did the best he could do when he was insecure: Attack.

"You should not be here! You have no right! None of you cared a damn what happened to him!"

He knew that he was being unfair, that Vanya had not even been there when he had asked for help, that they had all taken care of putting her aside for so many years that the girl had had enough of them. Diego waited for his sister to shout at him, to challenge him again as she had done at his father's funeral. In those moments all he needed was a good fight. But Vanya said nothing. 

The lights of the hospital were extinguished a second to return to light intermittently.

"Do you want me to go?" She asked with a strange neutrality devoid of emotion. Diego did not respond.

"All right."

Vanya sat on one of the benches, opened her backpack and took out a bag. Then, she made a gesture with her head so that he would sit next to her.

"We'll wait together," she said as she offered him a sandwich from the bag.

*

Eudora arrived before the medical part. Judging by her expression of boredom, she had had to deal with the authorities to justify Diego's actions at the crime scene as well as all the bureaucratic paperwork.

"Well, that was a nightmare," Eudora said after greeting his sister and introducing herself. "But I have good news. I have spoken with the doctors and they say that Klaus will be fine. The wounds do not endanger his life and he will recover from them in a few weeks. The confusional episode, on the other hand, may have a psychological origin. Until he wake up .. "

"Excuse me. What confusing episode?

Diego had been lost. The relief of knowing that his brother would be fine made him not listen to the last part of Patch's story. It was Vanya who noticed before him.

"Well, Klaus may sound somewhat delirious at times, but it's normal for him ..." Diego tried to justify, while passing one of his hands over his head.

Eudora looked at him with an intense expression. With the same expression that had looked at him the day she had decided to leave him. An expression that screamed: Is it that you have not noticed?

"Diego". She said, using the tone with which she would talk to a small child. 

"All this time, Klaus has called you Dave."

To be continue..


	2. Cause your blood’s running cold outside the familiar

 

Vanya entered Klaus' room. She was not the first. Diego, and Officer Patch had done it before with poor results. Klaus was awake, aware of his surroundings and the events he had experienced. He was aware of the date, of the current year, of the events of his childhood and his history in general. He had even been able to specify details of experiences with a high eschatological content that nobody had asked but that, knowing him, had undoubtedly happened.

 

Still, he kept calling Diego by the name of Dave.

 

Vanya entered the room. A room with poor light and poor ventilation. His brother had bandages on his wrists and on his torso, routine serum along with another small bag at his side. His look lost in a corner of the room and an expression of deep anguish in his face.

 

Diego had left minutes before and his expression had been very similar. Despite his insistence, Klaus did not seem to recognize him as his brother. Judging from Klaus's expression, Vanya wondered if his words had finally had any effect.

 

"Hey"

 

"Hey" Klaus smile forcibly. His concentration returned to the corner of the room. For a few seconds none said anything else. Vanya grabbed the strap of her backpack again.

 

"I brought you a sandwich, in case …"

 

"Do you think he's mad at me? He looked angry, but I don´t know why. Maybe I did something wrong but I don´t remember" Klaus spoke with that soft and incessant tone that made it seem more a conversation with himself than with another.

 

"Who?" She asked by inertia, although she knew who she was referring to.

 

"Dave"

 

Klaus looked at her again as if he had just realized she was there.

 

"Oh, it's true! You don´t know him. Dave saved me. He brought the police and everything was like in the movies. BUM, BUM and they stormed in! I felt I was the princess of the story, I just missed the kiss .. "He winked at her exaggeratedly. "You should have seen it ..."

 

"Oh," she said as an answer. She still had trouble adapting to his brother's sudden mood swings. Klaus continued to refer to the rescue but soon his expression darkened again as he recalled recent events.

 

"I could fix it if I knew. You know? If I knew exactly what I did, I would find a way that he was no longer angry with me and then ... "He stopped. Klaus in silence was never a good sign.

 

"And how did you meet?" She did not know if she was doing well, but it was the only thing she could think of to avoid his sadness.

 

"It was in Vietnam!" His eyes lit up at the supposed memory. "Oh, yes I know. It sounds crazy, that war was even before we were born. But listen! Those two crazy people had a briefcase that would have been Emmet Brown's dream ... "

 

"Who's dream?"

 

"Emmet Brown! From "Back to the future." Well, whatever, I travel to the past with that thing and that's where I met Dave. We fight together in the A Shau Valley in the Mountain of the Crouching Beast.”

 

"Ah," she said in response. Klaus's story lacked coherence but his enthusiasm in telling it was genuine.

 

"We split up in one of the raids. I could not find him and ... it was when the briefcase decided to transport me back here. "He sighed in sorrow. "I wanted to go back, bring Dave with me but those idiots caught me again." He paused for a moment to return to the story with almost manic enthusiasm.

 

"But all that does not matter now! He is here with me. It's all that matters. "He finish smiling as one who feels unexpectedly fortunate. She returned the smile by inertia.

 

"Well, I'll let you rest a little more. If you need something.."

 

"Could you tell him I did not want to? He knows me. He knows that I do things without thinking. That whatever I did, I just ...if he could forgive me. Could you? "Klaus spoke to her as if she were his last hope. Despair was barely put at bay in his words. Vanya felt her heart shrink.

 

"Sure."

 

*

 

The hospital psychiatrist was a bearded man who smelled strongly of tobacco and seemed in a hurry to be in another place.

 

"Confusional syndrome" He diagnosed it once he could examine Klaus.

 

"It can be the product of psychological trauma. Occasionally occurs when the mind can not stand a certain fact and that circumstance is replaced by another, more tolerable. Under what circumstances was he found? "The doctor asked after quickly reading the clinical history in his hands.

 

Diego did not respond immediately so Eudora spoke for him.

 

"He was tied and conscious when we got there.He was hurt but not seriously ... "

 

"He was inside a closet," he interrupted, managing to remember. A sudden tremor ran through his body. "Dad used to lock him up in dark places when we were kids ... in mausoleums"

 

The doctor watched him intensely for a few seconds as if he did not believe what he had just said. Finally he sighed and scribbled some notes on the card.

 

"Well, there you have it. I will prescribe these medication to reduce his anxiety. Outside of that, we have to wait. The symptoms should subside in a few days.”

 

"Wait!"

 

Diego took him by the arm before he could leave the office. He had not liked at all the scant explanation and the little time he had devoted to them.

 

"What happens if the symptoms dont´t subside?

 

The doctor focused his eyes on his arm where he was subject and then on Diego. He was not intimidated by the man in spandex and leather.

 

"If they don´t ..." He yanked free of the grip. "You will have to wait longer. Good Morning."

 

Eudora seized him before his fury broke loose against the insolent health agent and they all ended up spending the night in a prison cell.

 

*

 

Klaus was released the next morning. " _He have to take the medication and should rest_." They suggested. He doubted that Klaus would be able to comply with the recommendations, but he nodded anyway.

 

When leaving the hospital there was an uncomfortable moment. Vanya, who had been with them all the time, stopped when they got to the car. Suddenly she remembered the events she had experienced before finding Klaus and felt that she had to move away again. Let her brothers solve their academy affairs. She did not have a place there. They had already left it clear enough ..

 

"Not coming?"

 

The insecurity in Diego's tone had dyes of supplication _Please come. I don´t know what to do with this_. She was tempted to say no. That he did not deserve her help. That none of them had done anything for her. She did not owe them anything.

 

"Okay"

 

She had never been very good at saying what she really thought.

 

*

 

During the trip they remained mostly silent, except for the odd comments that Klaus directed to "Dave" indicating his favorite stores and places. Diego remained silent and soon Klaus gave up trying to make conversation. Vanya's pleading looks towards her brother did nothing to improve the tense atmosphere that had formed.

 

After a few minutes they stopped at a gas station. Diego got out of the car. Klaus, on the other hand, reported that he was dying of hunger and that he would buy some sweets. Vanya followed him with her eyes. Evade, it was the way his brother used to deal with situations that anguished him, she knew it well. It was the method that both used.

 

"I warned the others that we are going there. I also informed them of the current ... circumstances. Hopefully we'll arrive in time to help with the apocalypse or whatever ... "

 

Vanya remained silent. Her attention was fixed on how Diego's hands frantically searched his wallet for the money to pay. Twice he took the change badly and had to apologize to the employee for his clumsiness. Finally when he received the ticket he focused his gaze on her.

 

"No! No way am I going to pretend I'm him. I will not feed his delirium. This is madness."

 

They got into the car and kept waiting for Klaus. Vanya struggled internally between speaking or not, but she had made a promise to Klaus, and as absurd as it was, he had relied on her in a moment of weakness. At least she should try.

 

"They met in Vietnam and fought together in the valley of A Shau. However you look at it, Dave saved him while he was in that closet and rescued his from his tormentors. "

 

She stopped to arm herself again with courage.

 

"Klaus loves him."

 

*

 

During the rest of the trip Klaus was increasingly restless, moving from one side to the other in the back seat, resuming the conversation he had been holding before arriving at the gas station. Vanya nodded whenever she could to indicate that she was listening but was having trouble keeping up with his rhythm. His brother jumped from one topic to another for no apparent reason. It was when they were in front of the mansion that the constant monologue stopped abruptly.

 

Diego turned off the engine, directed a significant look at Vanya and then at Klaus.

 

"I will not get off the car"

 

Klaus had crossed his arms. His posture and gesture resembled a small child. Neither of them expected that reaction. Diego turned to face him.

 

"What's wrong? Why not?"

 

"This is not a good idea, Dave. I don´t want to be here, we could go elsewhere. I saw a donut shop on the road, maybe we could ... "

 

"Klaus, it's important that we all be in the meeting We have to avoid the apocalypse. Remember? " Vanya interjected at his brother's snort.

 

Klaus gave Diego a quick questioning look.

 

"Oh, he already knows. I had to tell him. He knows it's important .. "

 

Diego rolled his eyes at the words of his sister.

 

"Is that ..." He insisted weakly again.

 

Diego lost his patience. If they wanted to end that once and for all, they had to start by getting off the damn car.

 

"Come on!"

 

He opened the back door and forced the other to come down regardless of the protests. Diego could not wait for everything to return to normal to resume his life.

 

*

Allison, Luther and Five waited in the dining room. The three focused their attention on them as they entered. Klaus clung to Diego's jacket and Vanya's a few steps behind. Both visibly uncomfortable to be there.

 

"Klaus" Allison greeted “Are you okay? "She asked with an almost maternal concern and made to move closer to them.

 

Diego stared at her, still reproaching her attitude by refusing to look for him. Allison stepped back instantly.

 

"Oh! I'm fine! Thanks for asking, he is Dave by the way. We met in Vietnam, a long story ... "Klaus replied suddenly, confusing Allison's gaze towards Diego.

 

"Where is Diego? I thought we all had to be in this apocalyptic meeting .. "

 

Diego sighed at the delirious situation of having his brother asking for him while hanging on his arm. Although everyone was aware of the confusion of Klaus, that did not prevent the atmosphere of the place is rarefied. Allison looked down, Luther opened his mouth and could not contain the surprise. Before Klaus could notice, Five intervened.

 

"He is out." And before anyone could add something more. "It's not important now. We must focus. Klaus, did you have any progress with dad? "

 

Klaus quickly shook his head hiding behind Diego. That attitude was strange in him. Diego did not overlook it, but he could not tell what it was due to. Five narrowed his eyes, staring at his elusive brother.

 

"Hazel and Cha-Cha interrogated you and you gave them information about me," Five concluded mordantly. Diego could not help but be surprised at his sharpness. _So that's why he did not want to enter ..._

 

Klaus did not answer, but again clutched the fabric of the jacket intensely. For a second he seemed to want to grow smaller. Five hit the table with one of his hands startling Allison who was closer.

 

"That's why they burned the lab before I could get there! The only clue we had! The only hope of stopping this!"

 

"I don´t want to be here Dave. Please, let's go. "Diego heard Klaus' whisper in his ear and for a second he did not recognize his brother. That pleading and weak creature was nothing like the carefree and disrespectful Klaus of all time. _What the hell had they done with him?_

 

"Useless." Five hissed. His anger and frustration as a force emanating from his body. "Dad was always right. You're just a good for nothing. "

 

Klaus cringed more and more behind him. Diego felt a tremor running through his brother's body and that was enough for him.

 

"HEY! He didn´t do it on purpose! Those crazy people tortured him! They could have killed him if we did not find him before! "

 

Five snorted, a look of skepticism in his eyes and a sardonic smile on his lips.

 

"Maybe, it would have been the best."

 

Diego could only hold the air. As soon as the words were said he had rushed at his brother but he had disappeared before he could reach him.

 

"He's gone crazy! Completely crazy!" He screamed out of himself. Allison and Luther trying to contain him to keep it from Five.

 

"I'll go talk to him" Allison said as soon as she could see that Luther held him in an oppressive hug.

 

“Well! That´s have been wonderful!” Klaus exclaimed with feigned nonchalance but hugged himself without being able to take his eyes off the ground.

 

There was something devastating in his gesture and that made Diego calm down. Luther left him at that moment to approach with insecure steps to him. Diego was about to go against him thinking he was going to hurt Klaus but Vanya stopped him. _Wait!_

 

"A good leader takes care of his group. I let this happen to you. I was not a good number one. Sorry"

 

Diego could not help but roll his eyes at the apology of his brother. He always found a way to do other's problems, self-referential. Still, it seemed to have an effect. Klaus chuckled, something in his posture relaxing a little.

 

"Well, at least I'm not the only one who is not good at something"

 

*

 

The three left the mansion a few minutes after entering. Diego was still unable to calm down completely after the episode with Five. Certainly Allison had been right. After the time travel his missing brother had lost his mind.

 

He did not want to know anything about apocalypse or how to avoid it. Five would take care, and if not ... well, everything would go to hell if that had to be. He was fed up.

 

Diego was going down the stairs when he noticed something. Klaus and Vanya were still following him. His brothers had never supported him in his plans. No matter how hard he tried, he had never been the leader. But this time, Klaus and Vanya followed him, wherever he was going ..

 

A warm feeling invaded him suddenly. He turned around to face them. Both had the same expression of anguish.

 

In that instant, Diego felt he had to do something for them.

 

"Well, what do you want to do before the end?"

 

 

 

To be continue...

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think, so far? I think Five is being a little shit but thats so according him. Poor boy, he had too suffer alone in the apocalypse. Comments and kudos are my fuel!


	3. Or keep your eyes on the road and live in the familiar, without you and I

The donut shop could be glimpse as soon as they entered the curve. The luminous sign and the vintage colors made the place a vivid representation of a certain period in the United States.

 

The place was practically empty at that time of the morning. They chose a table near the window. Vanya and Diego took the menus while Klaus entertained himself with the children's tablecloth. His expression darkened when he realized that it was not a labyrinth.

 

"What kind of child could solve a sudoku?" Vanya asked when noticing the printed game. The colors and the drawings in the frame of the sheet invited the child to try to solve it, but the numbers inside the box were extremely complex even for an adult.

 

"Oh, Five could." Klaus snorted leaving the tablecloth aside and focusing his attention on the people on the street. Vanya and Diego exchanged a glance.

 

"I'll order eggs with bacon, coffee and orange juice. Also French toast with jelly, four donuts covered in chocolate, waffles, some sausages ... "Diego looked up to find something else when he met the surprised look of Vanya.

 

"And .. add some fruit." He ended up feeling somewhat guilty. He, always taking care of his body, never asked for things with such caloric content.

 

The old woman dressed in the typical waitress uniform wrote everything promptly.

 

"And for the lady?"

 

Vanya thought about asking for just one coffee, but in that instant she realized the absurdity of it all.

 

"The same as him." She indicated closing the menu while sharing a knowing smile with her brother.

 

"Ah! So this is competition! Klaus stretched his hands on the table as he was about to start a race. "I'll show you fools!"

 

The waitress had to make several trips to bring everything. There was no way for all the food to enter the table, so they had to add one more to the side.

 

"This is a waste" Vanya complained weakly as she quietly stirred one of the cafes.

 

"Just relax! Anyway, everything will disappear tomorrow ... "Klaus exclaimed as he filled his mouth with a strange mixture that seemed to contain mashed potatoes and eggs. Apparently he was again in a good mood.

 

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Diego still felt that warm feeling. How much time had passed since he had shared the table with his brothers? How much since he had felt comfortable, relaxed, without the constant need to feel that he should prove something to Luther or his father?

 

"Hey! That is my fruit! "

 

Klaus had stolen a piece of apple to put it in his mouth.

 

"Share resources is the basis of any fair society" Sentenced the other balancing the fork at the same time he sought to steal another piece.

 

"Hey!"

 

"There is enough for everyone." Vanya indicated slightly embarrassed when she saw that her brothers were fighting over the domain of the small plate of cut fruit.

 

"Yes, but he did not ask for fruit." Diego snorted leaving the plate within Klaus reach, ashamed of being called the atention for fighting with his brother as if they were children.

 

For a few seconds no one spoke again. Klaus took another piece again, a triumphant smile on his face. To which Diego responded by taking one of the bacon plates closest to Klaus.

 

"Hey! You have your own bacon! "Complained number four with dramatic outrage. Diego returned the same triumphant smile.

 

"I prefer this."

 

Vanya chuckled. Both exchanged a glance reaching a mutual agreement and almost at the same time stole food from their sister.

 

"Hey!"

 

*

 

At about noon, the three finished filling their appetites with laughter and banal comments. The apocalyptic threat hung over them like a cloud that did not quite move away, but none seemed too eager to touch the subject. It was Klaus who, after finishing his ice cream and throwing the spoon into the empty bowl, decided to face the issue.

 

"How do you think it will be? I mean, I hope it wil be something spectacular, with fire, lightning and all that ... "

 

"Dramatic" Whisper Diego raising an eyebrow. However, internally he admired his ability to face any event, including his own death, in a relaxed and contemplative way.

 

"Oh yeah! I want cars crashing, planes falling from the sky, tidal waves, earthquakes ... no diseases or subtle facts. We deserve to go with fireworks! "

 

Vanya and Diego smiled at the other's occurrences. They had to admit that Klaus had always been the most creative of all. Diego raised one of the cups.

 

"I make a toast for that. To go with fireworks! "

 

The three of them crashed their cups in that donut shop, with the certainty that this would be their last breakfast together.

 

*

 

Upon leaving, Diego and Vanya stopped for a moment in the parking lot.

 

"Do you need me to take you somewhere? Do you want to go to the house of that boyfriend of yours?"

 

Diego vaguely remembered the day his sister had appeared with that guy. Given the circumstances it was expected that she would like to spend her last hours with her beloved. However, Vanya's response was far from what he expected.

 

"Leonard? Nah, he behaved like an idiot when I told him I was going to see Klaus. He said that you did not deserve my attention and other things ... "

 

She avoided adding that she had been very much in agreement with him a good part of her life. Still, she had not liked that someone who had just met had an opinion about her relationship with her family.

 

"I doubt I'll see him again." She ended up crossing her arms.

 

Diego nodded. For a brief moment, he wanted to be more eloquent with the words. Thank his sister for being there for them, apologize for being upset about the subject of the book. However, the words died in his throat as soon as they were thought. So that he only had the path he always took when he was insecure: the attack.

 

"You know, I can visit him if you want. A quick cut, it would not hurt ... at first. "He emphasized showing one of his sharp knives.

 

It was not exactly an apology and it was far from what he really wanted to convey. But his sister smiled anyway.

 

"I'll think about it. By the way, tonight I will play at the Icaro theater. I thought I would not go, considering what will happen tomorrow. But then, I realized that I didn´t want to be somewhere else. So if you don´t have anything better to do ... "

 

Vanya spoke quickly, almost stepping on words. She had never invited any of her brothers to any artistic event in which she participated. She preferred to do it that way so to avoid the disappointment of them not attending. _Why would they stop doing their things just to see their little ordinary sister play the violin?_

 

Diego, taken by surprise at the sudden invitation, did not know what to say. Fortunately. Klaus was already lowering the window of the vehicle to answer.

 

"We will be there! Unless you have another idea ... "He addressed Diego, who shook his head. Vanya showed a shy smile.

 

"Cool"

 

*

 

"And you? Someone you want to see? Any place where you want to be? "

 

It was not a thoughtful question. It was simply the first thing that came out of his mouth as soon as he settled into the driver's seat and buckled his belt. Diego could not help but recriminate having done it when he heard the answer.

 

"I am right where I want to be"

 

Although Klaus's voice was low and soft, his response sounded absurdly loud inside the small vehicle. And his smile ..

 

That smile again, the same one that had shown him the day he rescued him. A sincere and so naive smile that lacked all the barriers that Klaus built to get closer to others. Because yes, Klaus also built walls. Not as oppressive as Vanya's, not as tall as his, but he did too. He could be obtuse to deal with emotions, his own and those of others, but he could grasp certain ways of acting. His career as a policeman had trained him to detect when people were hiding things. His brother was skilled at that. He had designed a system so striking and eloquent with his personality that it was easy to confuse his anguish with mania.

 

Diego squeezed the wheel unable to formulate some kind of response. He felt deeply uncomfortable. Again and again he thought that as soon as the delirium ended, if it ended before the end, Klaus should face a devastating disappointment. That being he saw in him, a fantasy of his mind. The certainty of having someone who loved and appreciated him, turned to ashes.

 

When he became aware again of his surroundings, he realized that he had taken the vehicle to the police station. For a brief moment he thought about to greet Patch. But then he thought better. He was not sure he wanted to see her.

 

"Hey! You can bathe at the mansion! "Klaus' voice took him out of the course his thoughts were taking. Diego looked at him without understanding.

 

"I say, before going to the recital, we can change there. It's not like I want to go back to that place, with Five and all that. But given the circumstances. You can also stay. I guess you have nowhere else to go. "Klaus spoke very quickly and the latter was said almost in a whisper, as if the idea were absurd in itself and he tried hard to say it out loud.

 

Diego gave one last look at the police station before deciding.

 

"All right"

 

*

 

The mansion was calm. Everyone must have gone elsewhere. Diego let out a sigh at his good luck.

 

He had no desire to see Five again. He had even thought about taking Klaus to his room in the gym, but the prospect of spending his last hours having to explain why his brother called him "Dave" seemed exhausting.

 

"This house has many rooms and many bathrooms! I mean, I'm sure the old man had some fetish with that because who the hell wants so many baths being a hermit ... "Klaus had gone ahead to guide him through the corridors.

 

Instinctively, Diego entered what had been his room until he was old enough to get out of there.

 

"Oh! No no no! This is Diego's room! He'll be mad if you stay here! "Klaus hurried inside and grabbed his arm. "It's not that I have not been here before, I used to come to sleep here after he left but hey, he doesn´t have to find out …"

 

Diego raised a surprised eyebrow at the comment. _Klaus sleeping in his room? Why?_

 

"Oh, Diego is my brother. It's who I talk to the most. Besides Ben, of course. I already told you about Ben. Look, this is Diego. "Klaus took a picture of the sideboard. In it, a child could be seen with his mother. Diego waited a few seconds, perhaps hoping that the photo could clear Klaus's mind. However, nothing happened Klaus still with that naive smile, as if he was not showing Diego a picture of himself. Diego sighed taking the picture.

 

"He must be someone very special, to endure how strange you are ..." He decided to disturb him. Maybe so ..

 

"He's a pervert who thinks he's Batman, fighting crime with a mask and spandex..AUCH! What was that?!"

 

"An insect"

 

Diego had not been able to avoid hitting him in the back of the head. He was very daring to call him "pervert" while standing in front of him, confusional episode or not.

 

Still rubbing his head, Klaus went to the bed and sat on it, placing one of his hands on the blanket. A shadow crossed his gaze and suddenly his expression became familiar to Diego. That was the expression he used to see in Klaus every time they met. An expression that was a mixture of sadness, longing and something more.

 

"Yes, he's a fool." He said as he took one end of the blanket between his fingers.

 

"But he's also kind, strong, vulnerable ... and beautiful. I would have liked to see him for the last time "

 

Diego did not have time to recover from what his brother had just said, when the other one continued.

 

"He was my first love."

 

It was as if a heavy atmosphere descended on them. Klaus took his silence wrongly. He stretched his arms behind his head and flopped down on the mattress.

 

"Oh, the subject of incest is not a big taboo around here. You should see my two brothers, Allison and Luther, they ... "

 

"What are you talking about?" He was suddenly interrupted. Diego's expression was illegible but something in his tone made the other raise his head with an air of concern.

 

"Don´t worry. Nothing happened. We could not be together. That's the way things were. "

 

Klaus got up quickly alarmed at the sepulchral silence of the other.

 

"Hey, are you angry with me? That´s in the past. You are the most important to me now. I love you and you know that .. "

 

"Why you couldn´t be together?" Diego interrupted again with a harshness that he only reserved for interrogations of particularly dangerous criminals.

 

Klaus was momentarily speechless, gesticulating but unable to make any sound. He seemed to search frantically for words but could not find them. The anxiety creeping visibly through his body without being able to understand what he had done wrong this time.

 

The silence echoed between the two as if it were another presence in the room. A thick silence, full of unspoken words, of longings, promises and glances. A silence that was full of past, of thei childhood and their experiences in that horrible house. A silence that spoke screaming for both.

 

"I don´t know." Finally, Klaus was able to get out of his stupor "We just couldn´t."

 

Diego turned around unable to continue seeing Klaus. An anger that had been nestling in his chest for a long time began to awaken and he was afraid to let it go chaotically. In a reflex, he clenched his fists and his jaw. The memories, for so long buried, sought to be present again in his consciousness. _And Klaus thinks he is the only one dealing with ghosts .._

 

"Dave," Klaus called weakly, grabbing him gently from his forearm.

 

Upon hearing that name, Diego was about to push him away violently. But the image of his brother crying on the floor while clutching his jaw with choked crying forced him to calm down. He did not want to hurt him. He had never wanted to hurt him.

 

 _But you did_ ... A voice whispered in his head. A voice that sounded so suspiciously like his father's that he shuddered. A voice that he had managed to keep silent staying as busy as possible trying to save others.

 

_And you hurt him more than once .._

 

_When you shouted at him on that occasion .._

 

_When you fractured his jaw .._

 

_When you ignored him .._

 

_When you went.._

 

The voice continued inclemently. It had gained strength over time and now it was presented with all its impetus.

 

_It would not be wrong to think that you are the cause of the erratic behavior of number four .._

 

"SHUT UP!" He finally burst, unable to contain himself. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He hit the wall so hard he made a small hole in the material. The pain in his knuckles brought him back to reality.

 

"I'm sorry." Klaus's whisper was barely audible. No doubt he thought Diego was yelling at him.

 

The guilt was present again to see that his outburst had made Klaus embrace himself in the same way he had done with Five.

 

"N..no..I´m..nn..ot" He wanted to explain himself. He wanted to tell him about the guilt, about their father's voice in his head. He wanted to tell Klaus that it had nothing to do with him. That it was his mistake not being able to control his emotions when he got angry. But he couldn´t.

 

He could never do it because he started to stutter, the words all crowded in his throat and tried to leave all together, his speech lost meaning and then ..

 

Klaus hugged him so suddenly that he made every attempt to explain himself stop. His arms wrapped around him tightly. He reciprocated in surprise at his own intensity. Diego did not remember a single moment when the two had embraced. In fact, he did not remember doing it with any of his brothers. Only Grace had been there for him in his moments of weakness.

 

"It's okay," Klaus repeated next to his neck again and again. He had not realized that his body had begun to tremble. At that moment, Diego knew how much he had missed his brother.

 

*

 

"We'd better hurry or we'll miss the recital," he whispered after a few seconds when he was able to regain his composure. He felt Klaus nod slightly against his body.

 

"I'll go bathe, you can do the same!" He announced with renewed energy. "I can lend you clothes if you want."

 

Diego gave a significant look to the faux fur jacket and the small top just above the navel that the other carried.

 

"Or you can take something from Diego, I don´t think he cares. He never uses these clothes anymore. "He continued realizing that their style of dress differed considerably. Diego nodded.

 

After taking a shower he approached his old wardrobe. He twisted his mouth when he noticed that he had scarce black clothes. Of course, before leaving the academy he used to dress with colors. He opted for a simple white shirt that was markedly adjusted due to the change in the built of his body. Then, he tried several pants until finally he could find a jean that did not threaten to make him sterile.

 

He met Klaus in the hallway. His brother had chosen to put on what appeared to be a space kimono.

 

"My best attire for the apocalypse!" He exclaimed smiling proud of his choice and giving an appreciative look at the other's attire. Diego could not help but smile back.

 

"Good, let's go."

 

"Yes! Just a moment! "Klaus quickly passed in front of him to re-enter his former room. He had a scotch tape in his hand. Before Diego could ask, he used it to place it over the hole he had made in the wall.

 

"All right! All ready!"

 

The arrangement was precarious and absurd but Diego could not help feeling that warm sensation invade him again. The world was about to end and Klaus was concerned about fixing the wall of his room.

 

A room that he had not used again since he had left, a room in which Klaus sometimes slept and which he took care of in his absence ...

 

*

 

Once they arrived at the theater and located their seats, when the murmurs were silenced little by little and the lights went out, Diego thought that in the darkness there was no way to tell if it was him or Dave who was sitting in that place.

 

With that in mind, he hold one of Klaus' hands while the soft music of a violin began to fill the room.

 

 

To be continue..

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this chapter has been complex to translate. Sorry if you find mistakes. First I write everything in my language and then proceed to convert it to English. However, some things do not make sense in English. So yes, it's a lot of work and im bitching about it! Haha All for you, lovelys!


	4. For our love is a ghost that the others can’t see. It’s a danger.

Diego sharpened the knives one by one before launching them. He had to be careful and methodical when doing it, or they would not have enough edge to dig into surfaces.

 

The knives were diverted to space at will, following routes that would have been impossible without having a superpower. He had been practicing the technique and felt confident enough to make the weapons follow the path he wanted.

 

He was about to throw the knife back against the target on the wall, when the sound of applause stopped him.

 

"Bravo! Unbelievable! "Klaus had crossed in front of him, looking closely at the knives firmly pinned to the wall.

 

"You shouldn´t show up like that when I'm training." Diego indicated with feigned annoyance, although internally, he was glad that someone in the family appreciated his skill.

 

He and Klaus had never been very close. Rather, he had never been close with any of his brothers. However, when they entered adolescence, things had begun to change. After the disappearance of Five and the death of Ben, Klaus had begun to get closer and closer to him. Always trying to start a conversation or include him in a game.

 

Diego had always been a lonely creature. Too involved in his personal competence with the number one, he almost did not pay attention to the rest. Despite that, Klaus's sudden interest in him was not something that bothered him.

 

"You are very good at this! "Klaus answered removing one of the knives from the wall and handing it to him. "I have an idea! Let's play William Tell! Do you know him? The one in the book! "

 

Diego frowned. He did not get along very well with books, so he had no idea what the other was referring to.

 

"Look, I stand here and you throw the knife at me. It should be nailed close without touching me. "

 

Diego looked at him with some distrust.

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Yeah! It will be fun! "

 

Klaus stood in front of the wall. A dramatic martyr expression on his face. Diego rolled his eyes but still began to throw the knives, that one by one they stuck deftly into the wall near Klaus. They were like this for a while, Diego gaining more and more confidence by bringing the knives to Klaus' body to the point of cutting a few hairs. His brother celebrated every shot and encouraged him to be more reckless.

 

They had fun. Until suddenly, Klaus thought to move. Diego, knowing the unpredictability of his brother, managed to dodge him narrowly.

 

"You didn´t say you were going to move!" He protested, but continued throwing the sharp weapons.

 

"On a mission, the bad guys will not stay still, Diego, dear!" The other shouted as he danced in the living room.

 

Diego was aware of that. He knew that the potential of his power consisted of being able to bend the space to be able to hit a target in movement. He was prepared to do it without hurting Klaus, but then ..

 

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

 

Their father had broken into the training room with his ominous presence. It was a minimal distraction. Less than a second ...

 

It was enough to hear Klaus' faint moan. His body bending over himself to hold one of his arms. Diego felt something heavy descend to his stomach. A cold sweat ran through his body.

 

"No .. we..were..sun..is just ..." The words were never there when he needed them.

 

"You were wasting time... playing!" Hargreeves interrupted his attempt at explanation. He had said "playing" as if it were a serious offense.

 

"Number four to the infirmary and then to the mausoleum. If you're bored, you can use your time for something more useful. "

 

Klaus let out a faint sound. Although the other was holding his forearm trying to stop the bleeding, Diego could see the blood sliding down his clothes. _What the hell were they thinking?_

 

*

 

"Are you there?" Diego took the lack of response as a yes. It had taken him a lot of courage to knock on his brother's door and he was not going to back down.

 

The room was dark and, for a second, Diego thought that Klaus had escaped again, until a small movement on the bed alerted him. Klaus's head appeared under a pile of blankets.

 

"Hey, Diego! Come! Look what I found."

 

Diego approached with insecure steps to the bed. He did not expect Klaus to be in a good mood after his stay in the mausoleum. In general, it took him days to recover until he was himself again.

 

"What did you find?" He ask trying to see under the blankets.

 

"No, no, come here." He whispered as he gestured upward to indicate the cameras. Diego caught the message. _He watches over us_. So, he hurried to get inside under the covers. Once he was able to be next to his brother's body, he waited in the suffocating darkness for the other to speak but instead, Klaus lit a light.

 

"Oh! You're going to blind me, idiot!

 

"Sorry. You will not be able to see it without light "the other apologized, suppressing a giggle.

 

The lantern illuminated a comic magazine. The title said "Archie" and underneath a lot of pictures with drawings of teenagers.

 

"It's just a comic" Diego was disappointed. He did not like anything that had to do with reading.

 

"Yes, Yes. But in this chapter they're looking for a bank robber, I thought we could read it together ..”

 

Diego was about to say no. He had no interest in anything that put his use of language to the test. But then he saw the bandages on Klaus's forearm and the dark circles on his face. He had gone to his room to comfort him somehow. That was his opportunity without having to apologize openly.

 

"It's okay. But you read." He said firmly. Klaus smiled.

 

"Yes, my captain!"

 

*

 

They continued reading together whenever they could sneak away. Each free moment was shared between the two with talks or games. Diego had learned to feel more relaxed in the company of Klaus than of any of his brothers. He rarely stuttered in his presence and gained more and more confidence to read. He had even started accompanying Klaus every time he had to train at the mausoleum. Trying to make sure his father did not notice it, he would sneak away with some comic and sit outside the crypt to read the chapters aloud. He was not a great reader and sometimes he skipped a word or had to repeat what he read but his brother did not seem to care.

 

There was not a concrete fact that made things different between them. At least, there was not a single fact. Rather, it was an accumulation of facts, of circumstances. Everything was so progressive and natural. The camaraderie was becoming affection, the routine of being together in need. Suddenly, their relationship became something that both actively sought. More and more intensely, taking more and more risks ..

 

That was their mistake.

 

_He watches over us._

 

One winter night, Diego went to Klaus' room and found it closed. Although he knocked and knocked on the door repeatedly, there was no response from the other side. Klaus never closed the door of his room, under any circumstances. Not even when he changed, which generated shameful situations with others.

 

Diego tried again one more time turning the handle. Nothing. The door would not open and neither would the next nights. Diego remained alone in the cold darkness of the corridor without being able to reach any conclusion.

 

*

 

Klaus avoided him. At first, he had not wanted to believe it. They had not had a fight, nothing that could justify that behavior. Despite that, Klaus did his best to avoid any situation where they could be left alone. He only spoke to him the strictly necessary and not much more. No more readings, no more talks, no more soft touches under the sheets ...

 

They had been like two strangers again. Diego had tried again and again to approach him, to ask if he had done or said something that had offended him, but there was no way. After a while, he simply stopped trying. Maybe Klaus was ashamed of what they had. Perhaps, he had been able to see more clearly where his growing affection was taking them and he simply did not intend to have such a relationship with his brother. Maybe, he had met someone else ..

 

The days became weeks, then months. Diego concentrated on perfecting his skills. Klaus, on the other hand, began to drink more and more until he finally fell into drug use. It was strange to see him without being high. Then, the reproaches came. Diego could not understand how Klaus could hurt himself in that way. He was frustrated and his frustration turned into anger.

 

The day of the dress was the end for both of them. He understood that he had to leave that house if he wanted to keep what was left of his mental health.

 

*

 

Diego opened his eyes. Through the dining room window, he could see a cloudy day that foreshadowed an early storm.

 

The world did not end that day, nor the days that followed. Neither did Klaus's delirium.

 

*

 

Five, had no idea why the apocalypse had not happened on the date indicated and spent most of the days in his room, submerged in a mountain of calculations. As a result of this, he had insisted that everyone remain in the mansion until they could understand what was happening.

 

"Maybe, something we did avoided it ..." Vanya timidly suggested whenever she could.

 

"If we don´t know what was going to cause it, it could happen at any moment" Five insisted and no one tried to contradict him again, under penalty of being bored to death with a dissertation of quantum physics.

 

It was strange how soon they had managed to install a kind of routine. All had managed to reach an implicit peace agreement. It could not be said that there was no friction from time to time, especially between Luther and Diego or between Diego and Five. But the fights ended up working out civilly.

 

Diego felt different. He could not say exactly what it was but it started the day before the supposed apocalypse. The night when he took Klaus' hand in the darkness it was as if something began to dissolve in him. He felt more relaxed, more at ease with himself. As if he had somehow spent years building a version of himself. A version that did not stand alone but constantly had to act. The “vigilante”, the tough guy without feelings, only worried about himself, gradually vanished.

 

He could not be so obtuse to deny that his change had to do with his relationship with Klaus.

 

Diego was terrified.

 

He was terrified because he felt better in Dave's skin than in his own skin.

 

*

 

When it was one month after the kidnapping, Diego decided to take action on the matter. Despite feeling comfortable with the change in the relationship between Klaus and him, he could not help but think that Klaus's delirium was not normal at all.

 

That afternoon he went to the psychiatrist who had seen him the first time. He opted for another technique. Instead of confronting him combatively, he chose to take another path. It could be thought that being in Dave's shoes made him think differently, making decisions that he would never have chosen as Diego.

 

The cigar box was placed in front of the doctor as soon as he crossed him into a hallway.

 

"This is for you. Do you remember me?"

 

The doctor, who continued his eternal coming and going from one side of the hospital to the other, looked at him suspiciously without being able to remember him.

 

"My brother takes me for someone else ... I'm the spandex´s guy." He finally said quietly and there yes, the other showed signs of recognizing him. The psychiatrist took the cigar box and invited him to walk with him down the hall.

 

"How is your brother progressing?" He asked as he pulled out a cigar and carried it to his nose.

 

"He doesn´t progress. He follows with that delirium. He thinks I'm his boyfriend. "He confessed embarrassed. It was hard to talk about that, but he knew that this guy could be the key to helping Klaus.

 

"Mmh." The doctor passed through several glass doors and they soon found themselves in an open place. There, he lit one of the cigars. He sniffed loudly and then exhaled the smoke nodding his head.

 

"The delirium will remain as long as he needs it. No matter how hard you try to convince him otherwise. You will only distress him. "

 

Diego expected such an answer. He had already seen the effect of making Klaus come to his senses. Still, he could not help but feel somewhat disappointed. He hoped that doctor could prescribe some medication or some method to get Klaus back to normal.

 

"So, there's nothing I can do?"

 

The doctor denied, removing the ash with a wave of his hand. Diego was about to ruminate his defeat elsewhere when the psychiatrist's voice stopped him.

 

"A delirium always appears to replace another reality. A reality that the patient can not stand. Find out what your brother can not accept, could help him .. "

 

Diego watched him hopefully. At least he could do something. He already had the mission. Now he just needed the plan.

 

*

 

It took him several days to reach that conclusion but when he did, he preferred not having deduct it. A horrible feeling of emptiness had settled in his stomach since then, to the point that even his siblings asked him if he was okay.

 

No, Diego was not OK. Probably would not be for a long time. He had found the reality that was impossible for Klaus to tolerate and had also discovered who was responsible for all that. He did not understand how he had not deduced it before.

 

Allison did not deny it. Nor defended her actions. She spoke to him with the calm of a condemned woman. With the calm of someone who knows that, sooner or later, will be judged by her actions and waits patiently for the day of judgment to arrive.

 

That afternoon, when Diego finally faced her in the dining room, his sister told him about the day his father had asked her to accompany him to the mausoleum where Klaus was training. There, he had spoken to both of them about the importance of the academia for the future, about the millions of lives that depended on their training, that none could afford to be selfish. Reginad Hargreeves told them all about that in his usual, impassive tone devoid of any empathy. When he finished his speech and the mausoleum was a few seconds in silence, he gave the order: "Do it."

 

_I heard the rumor that Diego and you can´t be together._

 

 

To be continue...

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm feeling a little lonely around here. Kudos/comments? Last chapter is the last one!


	5. This love is gonna be the death of me.

Maria del Carmen told Juan Esteban that she was pregnant. A few seconds of suspense passed between her statement and his reaction. Finally, he told her that he loved her. The music started to sound louder and the shot slowly receded.

 

It was his favorite soap opera. He had been following it for months. However, Klaus could not feel more than indifference to the expected end. It had been days since his mind could not focus on anything other than Dave. Since he had rescued him, his behavior had been increasingly erratic. There was nothing left of the nights of laughter and caresses in Vietnam. Dave treated him with courtesy but no longer approached him as before. His behavior disconcerted him. At times, his gaze transmitted a desire that paralyzed him, an ancient fire that had just awakened and now wanted to burn him with its intensity. As if they had been separated for years and now they were reunited again. He was far from questioning it. If that was Dave's way of feeling, he would surrender without qualms. However, when he was about to reciprocate, Dave walked away.

 

A barrier.

 

Klaus could be useless, but he was not stupid. He would have liked to be. Keep believen that everything was fine between the two, that their love story would end as in that soap opera, with them kissing each other between smiles.

 

Dave had not kissed him since the kidnapping.

 

*

 

Dave was standing facing the window overlooking the garden. The afternoon sun trimmed his figure in an almost dreamlike way. It was a posture that reminded him a lot of Diego. He always adopted that position whenever something disturbed him. Klaus cleared his throat.

 

"Hey" He greeted him. Dave returned the greeting but said no more. Klaus, leaned on the back of one of the chairs unconsciously using it as a shield. After a few seconds, he finally decided to speak.

 

"You can leave if you want." The words came out of his mouth, he was aware of that. But it was as if someone else had said them.

 

Dave turned to see him, his eyes tired, his body tensing.

 

"You can go back to the past or stay in this era. Whatever you want."He spoke so firmly, so sure of himself. As if he were a big boy, responsible for his actions. Hargreeves would laugh.

 

"What are you talking about?" Dave frowned as if he had just heard nonsense. Klaus was touched.

 

"You don´t have to stay with me anymore. I'll be fine.” He added sweetly. Despite that, Dave seemed unable to understand the full meaning of his words. Klaus sighed. He would have preferred that this was the end, but he had never had luck.

 

"Five is right. That's why I didn´t want to come back here. I'm useless.” Before Dave could interrupt, he continued. Dave deserved the truth.

 

"They tortured me, yes. But it was not because the torture that I give them the information they needed. It was because of this. "He said, taking from his pocket a plastic bag with colored pills.

 

"This is what I am." He smiled, but it was a grimace without grace. "It's what I've always been. A pathetic junkie who would do anything for the next dose. I'm not worth it. You deserve something better."

 

The words floating in the air. Its true meaning unfolding like an invisible cloak, filling the room. Klaus had put into words the barrier between the two. That was all.

 

"Well, I already said it." He finished with a wave of his hand. The word Good Bye being briefly visible. He felt exhausted. As if he had just used his powers to summon a ghost.

 

Dave seemed unable to elaborate an answer and for long seconds the silence spread between them. It was a familiar silence. Lately it seemed to be the only thing they shared.

 

Unable to stand it anymore, Klaus turned to leave. He had already done what he had to do. Now, he needed space to heal what was left of him ... if there was still something left.

 

"Wait!" Finally, Dave seemed to be able to find his voice.

 

"I have to tell you something."

 

*

 

Allison had dressed for the occasion. A black blazer matching a skirt at knee height. The high heels were buried in the earth of the garden but she didn´t cared. Luther accompanied her with a tentative hand on her waist to keep her from falling.

 

Five was a few steps away from them. From time to time he turned his gaze to one of the windows. Perhaps, expecting to see Vanya, although after the chat they had had, he doubted she would appear at the funeral.

 

_"I agree with Diego." Allison's voice was heard over her brothers. "I can´t undo what I did to Klaus. I am guilty of his state so I will support the decision you make. You know what will be the best for him. "_

 

_Luther watched her as if he suddenly did not know her. Ever since he had learned that his beloved sister had used her power with Klaus as children, he had not been able to get out of his shock. He could not stop thinking about them and their history together. They had never reached anything, Allison had not allowed it. What would have happened if their father had decided that she must use her powers with him instead of Klaus? He liked to think that she would not have done it. But another part of him kept asking himself.._

 

_"But we would be lying. Klaus is sick. If the delirium is over, then .. "_

 

_"And if it does not?" Diego interrupted him. "The doctor was clear. Klaus's delirium is replacing another reality. The reality that Allison's power snatched from us. "_

 

_Allison could not hold his gaze._

 

_"I don´t know why he did it now and not before. Maybe the torture trigger something in his mind, I don´t know. I only know that Klaus believes in Dave. His love is real. There are no impediments to them being together. "_

 

_"Except you're not Dave," Luther retorted. Diego rolled his eyes. They would never agree on anything. He was about to answer when Five's voice interrupted him._

 

_"You love him?" He was sitting on a corner of the table, his legs swaying from side to side. He had remained silent so far so his question startled them all._

 

_The question caught him off guard. Nobody had asked that before. When he had told them his plan, they had all begun to object to the ethical and moral implications of it. No one had asked about what he felt.Diego nodded._

 

_"Diego, Dave ... they're just names. I can be Dave if that makes us have what we lost. Maybe, this is the only opportunity to be together. "_

 

_Diego felt uncomfortable opening up in that way with his brothers. He had never talked about his relationship with Klaus with anyone and now he had a whole audience.He didn´t need them to validate his feelings. He just needed their word that they would follow the plan._

 

_He felt Five's scrutinizing gaze on himself for a few moments, until he finally nodded._

 

_"Well, I think you're right then. The plan carries its risks but I can understand it. "_

 

_Diego thought he was dreaming. Five giving him the reason in something? But then he remembered his stay in the apocalypse and his mannequin girlfriend. Dolores was not real either, but he could swear that Five would not change her for anyone in the world._

 

_Luther gave a deep sigh, visibly uncomfortable with the course of things. But for once, he seemed to have lost the courage to argue._

 

_"It will be what the majority thinks." He ambiguously sentenced._

 

_"I don´t agree."_

 

_All eyes focused on Vanya. Sitting on one of the chairs, her hands squeezed the edge of her shirt over and over again._

 

_"I know what I said before, but this ..." She gave him a look of deep apology. "It's one thing to play along with him for a while, to keep him from getting distressed ... but this is something else. I can´t stop thinking about what will happen if he wakes up and finds out that we all lie to him. "_

 

_Diego felt shocked. He had believed that of all his brothers, Vanya was the one who would be in his favor._

 

_"He will know we did it for his own good."_

 

_"And if he don´t ? What if he thinks we just wanted to make fun of him? And if he feels betrayed?”_

 

_Vanya kept repeating the questions he had asked himself over and over when thinking about that plan. They were all very likely possibilities. He had no answers for that._

 

_"Every plan carries its risks. Klaus is unhappy now because he thinks Dave does not love him. We can prolong that state indefinitely or do something about it. "_

 

_Five's words ended the meeting. The majority had reached an agreement._

 

*

 

Klaus approached with insecure steps to the tombstone arranged near the statue of Ben. Pogo had put his head back in place so that his brother would not remain decapitated. This time, it was not raining. Instead, there was an intense wind that made the cigarette between his fingers blow out again and again.

 

Diego Hargreeves

(1989-2019)

 

The written name was strange to him. As if it belonged to someone else and not to the brother he had loved all his life. Klaus let the feeling of unreality invade him. He was used to shock when something affected him too much. When the commotion ceased, it could give way to emotion. Until that happened, he would swim in that cold calm.

 

"What happened?" He heard himself ask.

 

"He was after them, the ones who tortured you. He could not let them go. "Five answered him efficiently as usual.

 

Klaus nodded. A typical reaction from his brother "el vigilante." He could imagine him with his ridiculous mask and his spandex suit, facing the woman and the man in cartoon masks. He let out a laugh that soon turned into a sob.

 

Ah, there was the emotion..

 

*

 

He watched the scene from a prudent distance. He had imagined that he would feel distressed attending his own funeral, but it was not like that. A sense of profound relief invaded him.

 

Maybe because the character he had built as Diego had never been quite real. Maybe it had always been that: a character. A man who had to hide behind a mask. Maybe, deep down, he had always been Dave.

 

 

End

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's all folks! I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks to those who left comments and kudos! Until next time!


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